The purpose of an occupational medicine program is to promote a safe and healthy workplace through the provision of work-related medical services. In a biomedical research setting that involves biohazardous materials, those services should include a preplacement medical evaluation, job-specific counseling and immunizations, and a practical plan for responding to suspected exposures to workplace health hazards and caring for work-related injuries. Before discussing these core elements of an occupational medical program, a review of the prerequisites for these services is in order.

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